How Bad Do You Want it?

I hear people complain about their weight, job, financial situation or spiritual life. It usually starts with, "I know I need to be eating (      ), but....." If we know something, why don't we do it? It seems simple doesn't it.

The reason we don't, is that it doesn't hurt bad enough yet. You have to be so sick of where you are, you are willing to make the sacrifice to get to where you want to be. Until then you will just continue on in your complacent, comfortable rut. Like Dave Ramsey says, "You have to live like no one else, so later you can live like no one else!"

Changing your eating habits has to be one of the hardest things to do. You have to start thinking of food as fuel and not pleasure. Why do I write this? Because I live the struggle. It may not be food in your life. It may be something else. Start today! Make the first step. You can change and grow in a positive way. It just comes down to how much you want it.

Desire is the foundation

What system or tool do you need to be successful? How many calls do you have to make? What kind of CRM do you need to use? These are some of the first questions people ask, but they are the wrong ones.

What you need first is desire. You have to want something so bad, that you are willing to sacrifice to get it. When I was a kid, I was a dreamer. I was wired different. I had a desire to do something with my life. I went down many paths to get to where I am today. The cool thing is that I still have that same desire. I still want to grow and get better.

No one can make you have desire. It comes from within. How you think can be changed. Constantly read books. Get around successful people. Ask questions of those who have been there already. Never become complacent and lazy.

Stop Overthinking!

You have an idea or opportunity. You think about it. You think about it some more. You analyze the specifics. You run every scenario possible. You sit on the idea, waiting for a voice to come from the sky with a clear cut message on which way to go.

The answers don't always come so clearly. If you are not careful, you can overthink yourself into stagnation. Because every direction is not clear cut, you stay where you are and die. There is a lot to be said for the gut feeling you have when considering a new venture or a change. 

I'm not saying run roughshod over reality because you want something. I'm saying that it does not have to be perfect in order to move forward. Go do it, then perfect it.

Rose Colored Glasses

Winston Churchill said, "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." Your success or failure depends on the glasses you look through to see every situation. How you view the situation determines the effort or lack of effort you apply to fix it.

It is easy to blame the lack of support, tools, technology or basically anything else on your problem. It is hard to look in the mirror and see our biggest problem. Have I done everything in my power regardless of what's around me?

Social media has brought every negative situation into our homes. If you are not careful, you will stay sad or angry over things you have no control over. It will start to affect your life and it doesn't need to. Keep looking ahead! The best is yet to come!

Reflection

As you look back on 2016, what do you think of the year? What did you accomplish? Were you a taker or a giver. Were you a complainer or a problem solver? Were others better for having known you?

There were times in my career when I struggled. We scraped the bottom a few time financially. Even through the toughest times, I always kept my client's best interest in mind. There were times we had to cancel deals when I really needed the check for my family. The focus always needs to be on the ones you serve. When you change that focus, you lose!

In 2017, try to lift others up. When you post on social media, ask if this will add value to people's lives or tear down relationships. You don't become successful without the help of others, but it has to start with you.